Rules-Based User Preferences for Stream Switching in an Internet Radio Player

1. A method of personalizing streaming media content, comprising: identifying, at a client-side streaming media player, a plurality of available streaming-media stations, wherein at least one of the streaming-media stations streams media selected in accordance with user feedback associated with a user of the client-side streaming media player; presenting, via the client-side streaming media player, station selection options to the user of the client-side streaming media player, the station selection options including: an option to select at least two media stations from among the plurality of available streaming-media stations; and an option to specify respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations, wherein the respective play-time amounts indicate percentages, of an expected media streaming period, allocated to an individual media station; receiving, at the client-side streaming media player, a stream provider rule defining a minimum play time per stream, wherein the stream provider rule is in addition to user preferences specifying—the respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations; at the client-side streaming media player, automatically sequencing the at least two media stations to generate a combined media output by switching among the at least two media stations in accordance with both the station selection options and the stream provider rule; and at the client-side streaming media player, during each instance of the expected media streaming period, outputting the combined media output to an output device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein: media content of each of the plurality of available streaming-media stations is audio content; and the outputting the combined media output reproduces audible output at an audio output device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: automatically adjusting the respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations based on user selection of different media stations for increased or decreased play.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different available streaming media stations includes a plurality of streaming media stations having a same genre, but different formats.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations are specified as percentages of the expected media streaming period.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: determining, at the client-side streaming media player, that percentages assigned to the at least two media stations by the user do not add to 100%; determining a multiplicative factor based on the percentages assigned to the at least two media stations by the user; and automatically adjusting the percentages assigned by the user, based on the multiplicative factor, to total 100%.

7. A playback device comprising: one or more processors which process program instructions; a network device connected to said one or more processors for communication with a network; a memory device connected to said one or more processors; a media output device connected to said one or more processors; and program instructions residing in said memory device for personalizing streaming media content by: identifying a plurality of available streaming-media stations, wherein at least one of the streaming-media stations streams media selected in accordance with user feedback associated with a user of the playback device; presenting station selection options to the user of the playback device, the station selection options including: an option to select at least two media stations from among the plurality of available streaming-media stations; and an option to specify respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations, wherein the respective play-time amounts indicate percentages, of an expected media streaming period, allocated to an individual media station; receiving, at the client-side streaming media player, a stream provider rule defining a minimum play time per stream, wherein the stream provider rule is in addition to user preferences specifying—the respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations; automatically sequencing the at least two media stations to generate a combined media output by switching among the at least two media stations in accordance with both the station selection options and the stream provider rule; and during each instance of the expected media streaming period, outputting the combined media output to an output device.

8. The playback device of claim 7 , wherein: media content of each of the plurality of available streaming-media stations is audio content; and outputting the combined media output reproduces audible output at an audio output device.

9. The playback device of claim 7 , wherein said program instructions further automatically adjust the respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations based on user selection of different media stations for increased or decreased play.

10. The playback device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of different available streaming media stations includes a plurality of streaming media stations having a same genre, but different formats.

11. The playback device of claim 7 , wherein the respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations are specified as percentages of the expected media streaming period.

12. The playback device of claim 11 , wherein said program instructions further: determines that percentages assigned to the at least two media stations by the user do not add to 100%; determines a multiplicative factor based on the percentages assigned to the at least two media stations by the user; and automatically adjusts the percentages assigned by the user, based on the multiplicative factor, to total 100%.

13. A digital program product comprising: a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium; and program instructions residing in said non-transitory machine-readable storage medium for personalizing streaming media content by: identifying a plurality of available streaming-media stations, wherein at least one of the streaming-media stations streams media selected in accordance with user feedback associated with a user of a client-side streaming media player; presenting station selection options to the user of the client-side streaming media player, the station selection options including: an option to select at least two media stations from among the plurality of available streaming-media stations; and an option to specify respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations, wherein the respective play-time amounts indicate percentages, of an expected media streaming period, allocated to an individual media station; receiving, at the client-side streaming media player, a stream provider rule defining a minimum play time per stream, wherein the stream provider rule is in addition to user preferences specifying—the respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations; automatically sequencing the at least two media stations to generate a combined media output by switching among the at least two media stations in accordance with both the station selection options and the stream provider rule; and during each instance of the expected media streaming period, outputting the combined media output to an output device.

14. The digital program product of claim 13 , wherein: media content of each of the plurality of available streaming-media stations is audio content; and outputting the combined media output reproduces audible output at an audio output device.

15. The digital program product of claim 13 , wherein said program instructions further automatically adjust the respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations based on user selection of different media stations for increased or decreased play.

16. The digital program product of claim 13 wherein the plurality of different available streaming media stations includes a plurality of streaming media stations having a same genre, but different formats.

17. The digital program product of claim 13 , wherein the respective play-time amounts allotted to each of the at least two media stations are specified as percentages of the expected media streaming period.

18. The digital program product of claim 17 , wherein said program instructions further: determines, at the client-side streaming media player, that percentages assigned to the at least two media stations by the user do not add to 100%; determines a multiplicative factor based on the percentages assigned to the at least two media stations by the user; and automatically adjusts the percentages assigned by the user, based on the multiplicative factor, to total 100%.